Route
Waypoints
Dinham Bridge to Ludlow Castle Entrance
Cross Dinham Bridge (via the left-hand pavement), taking time to enjoy the views of the River Teme. It is easy to see how this river formed a natural defence for the castle and town and it also powered many mills. Keep your eyes peeled for grey wagtails and heron.
Immediately after the bridge, turn left into the side road and, just after the Miller's House on your right, fork right to join the tarmac path up through the trees (via a staggered barrier). At the top of the slope, you will come to a T-junction with the circular path that runs around Ludlow Castle. Turn left along this, with the tall castle walls towering up to your right. Ludlow is thought to be one of the first stone castles built in England, shortly after the Norman Conquest. It played an important role as a Yorkist retreat during the Wars of the Roses in the 1400s and played its part in the English Civil War in the 1600s.
At the fork, keep right on the path alongside the castle and this path leads you directly to the castle entrance, in Castle Square. The small square is home to a cannon, a drinking fountain and formal gardens. From here, there is easy access to explore the rest of Ludlow town should you wish. It is certainly worth getting some refreshments, to fortify yourself ready for the climb back into the forest!
Marks
Lower Wood Road to End
Keep ahead along Lower Wood Road for just 40 metres and then fork left to join the public footpath (signed as part of the Mortimer Trail long distance path). About 30 paces up the slope you will come to a fork (the left-hand branch being the one you came down on the outward leg). This time, take the right-hand branch, signed as a permissive route for the Mortimer Trail.
Follow this pretty woodland trail, undulating and meandering along the woodland bank. After about 800 metres, the path swings left to reach a T-junction (with a waymarker post on your right). Turn left here (up the short slope) to reach the lay-by where the walk began.
Town View to North Farm Entrance
Walk straight ahead on the forest-edge path (leaving the waymarker posts behind and following the line of the wire fence on your right). Stay with this pretty path for some distance, with a lovely section of mixed woodland on your left, predominantly beech. There are lots of wild flowers in the spring, including bluebells and wood anemones. Mortimer Forest was an ancient hunting forest, named after the Mortimer family, Earls of March.
You will come to a crossroads of tracks, with another section of wire fence ahead. Turn right, staying along the right-hand forest edge. The track swings left and then you may take either of the two paths ahead (running downhill, parallel to the wire fence on your right), whichever looks most passable. These lead to a tall fence and gate ahead. Pass through the gate and continue on the unmade bridleway track, heading downhill.
Part way down you will pass a farm gate on your right, an excellent spot to pause and enjoy the views across Ludlow (including the castle which is the destination of this walk). Continue on the sunken bridleway path leading you downhill through the woodland edge (taking care as this rocky section can be slippery). At the bottom, bear right to join an access track and follow this down to the junction with the road (at the entrance for North Farm).
Viewpoint to Town View
When you are ready to continue, stand with your back to the bench and view and walk forward for 10 paces (to draw level with the small brick building on your left). Turn right to continue your journey along the grass track. This track leads you down the slope to reach a junction with a surfaced forest road. Turn sharp left to join this road (heading uphill).
At the brow of the rise, turn right to join a stone and grass vehicle track which leads you downhill. After just 80 metres, by a bench on your left, turn left to join a grass track leading you through the trees. Follow this unmade path, meandering ahead and narrowing (following the waymarker posts marked with red and green signs).
As you approach the edge of the forest, join the compacted stone path which bends left. Where the stone path ends, continue straight ahead to reach the next waymarker post alongside a simple bench with your first views of Ludlow town ahead.